My daybed update

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I love how small updates can make a big impact. Recently I've grown a little tired of the original IKEA cover in pale grey on our Söderhamn chaise longue (in the window nook), plus it was starting to look, well, a bit manky (think foot marks, splashes of hot chocolate, you name it!). So earlier this week I swapped it for a new Bemz Loose Fit Urban slipcover in Rosendal Pure washed Linen - Medium Grey and I'm soooo happy with the result! Not only does it feel extra cosy (I love the darker colour!) it also matches the rest of my sitting room - perfect! 

I already had the Söderhamn chaise longue with a cover, but if you're ordering a new one from IKEA you can buy one without the cover for less and then add the Bemz cover at home (it's so easy to put on!). A quick side-note: I bought the baby's breath wreath at a flower shop in town back in December - it's been in the hall for ages but I think I might just have found a new spot for it, what do you think?

You may remember the touch of chestnut from my bedroom make-over. I think the 40 x 60 cushion in Malmen velvet chestnut adds a lovely warm touch to the window nook too. I love the exposed seams and relaxed look of the Loose Fit Urban - it's what drew me to this style. 

In this last pic you can catch a glimpse of my Chinese Money plant (I love the shape of the leaves!) and my book The Scandinavian Home (not that I sit and read my own book....but I do like to dip and out for inspiration, press interviews etc). After all - there's no such thing as a cosy corner without plants and books, don't you agree?! 

Photography: ©Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Aaaaah, so pleased with it! If anyone's looking for me I'll be cosying up here for the rest of the day!

Have a cosy day!


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bemz, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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6 Ways to Rock the Rug in 2018

Tjena, hur är läget?! Is there something you feel you're always lacking in your home? For me, it's rugs! I just never seem to have enough of them. But after my visit to DOMOTEX (the leading trade fair for floor coverings) last weekend, I feel inspired to make it a whole lot more cosy around here. The stands were teeming with the most incredible floor coverings. Think beautiful art, super tactile textures (handwoven, wool and silk mix anyone?) and an abundance of colour. Fellow bloggers - Holly from Decor8, Igor from Happy Interiors blog and Urban Jungle Bloggers, Agata from Passion Shake, Stefan from Trend Stefan, Desiree from Vogesparis and Mette from Monsterscircus and I took to the stage to discuss the latest trends to rock the rug world in 2018.

Here's the low down (get it?!)...

1. Traditional, beautifully handcrafted rugs with a contemporary touch

2. Show stopper rugs that steal the spotlight (to rock the look keep the rest of the room relatively minimalist and calm, picking out one or two key colours only).

Green Body + Green Home

3. Rugs that break the mould - think outside the box and go for unusual shaped rugs to make a feature!

4. It's all in the layers: the perfectly imperfect look where rugs in different colours, patterns and textures overlap to max out the cosiness.

El Ramla Hamra (check out their beautiful Etsy shop here).

5. Vintage / hard wearing: think sustainable and opt for second hand or invest in a hardwearing piece that will stand the test of time and can be enjoyed by generations to come.

6. Some rugs are just way too spectacular to be walked on - which is why I'm loving the idea of hanging on them on the wall. Think 'super-size' macrame wall hangings (add a little texture and colour too) rug art or simple carpets in off-whites.

The good news? This definitely leaves scope for all our beloved Moroccan rugs  - I'm loving colourful Berber rugs and Kilims in particular.  Is there any trend you love the idea of?

If so perhaps these rugs I spotted might help...

Mariantonia Urru 

Driven by a strong passion for the vast variety of weaving techniques and traditional motifs, Mariantonia Urru, is based in Samugheo and creates pieces using common traditional methods, such as pibiones and litzos, as well as rediscovering old techniques like un in dente and aramu. 

I put the cushions to the test (for a while...) and yep, they're as comfortable as they look! I see they're available here (just saying....).

 

I'd have stayed there all day, had there not been a blogger tour to attend to and other stands to visit such as...

Rug Star

Rug Star's founder Jürgen Dahlmanns told us about how his award winning rug company combine his two abiding passions: Tibetan rugs and contemporary design.

Rug Star

DOMOTEX

Hossein Rezvani

Quite possibly the most tactile rugs I've ever encountered, Hossein Rezvani is the only brand to offer contemporary rugs made in Isfhan, Iran with up to 1 million knots per square metre!

Despite looking like we're listening, Igor, myself and Stefan (from l to r) were actually dreaming about kicking off our shoes and walking around on these beauties bare foot!

Tisca Rugs

If you saw my post the other day, you'll know I'm already a big fan of Tisca rugs. Not only do they look lush, Tisca's unique hand-woven rugs are hard-wearing, durable and reversible.  I so need one of these in my life!

Picture: TISCA AUSTRIA

Aaaaah. so beautiful. The questions is, do I go subtle or bold? I think you know the answer to that one! Did anything catch your eye?

Before I head off  I'd like to say a huge thanks to the team at DOMOTEX (Timo and Lars I'm looking at you!) for a wonderful time and also to Holly Becker for an amazing job presenting and moderating our panel discussions and taking us on a fab tour of the fair and Hannover (what a great city! see Agata's guide here).

Have a great start to the week!

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Going up in 2018: indoor climbing plants

After yesterday's awe-inspiring home tour, all I can think about today is house plants. And if there's one type to top all others right now, it's climbers. Climbing plants seem to be taking over the plant world (and homes) right now! Whether used to frame a window, wrap themselves around ceiling beams or winding their way up shelving, the green beauties provide a lush boost of green which will brighten up the dreariest of January days (I'm in, are you?!). Here's a little inspiration...

Michelle Hayes

Indoor living plants MR Kitly

Anders Bergstedt / Entrance

Natalie Jeffcott

Jonas Bjerre Poulsen / Höst restaurant Copenhagen

Kara Healy

So beautiful, don't you think? If, like me, you're already plotting where your climber should go (my home is suddenly feeling decidedly ungreen), here are 5 great climbers and two inspiring books to set you on the right path...

Get the look

Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants
The Green Home

Training your climber

So we kind of know which plant and where to put it, but how on earth do we train them to go where we want them to go (and stop our house from becoming a scene out of Little Shop of Horrors)?! The methods vary depending on the type of plant - so do ask about the best way to train and care for your climber at the point of purchase. When it comes to support, you can either train your plant around whatever's already in place (pipes, beams etc) or invest in a trellis of some kind (there is a large variety of different supports you can use depending on the look you're after) - here's a helpful guide. My parents-in-law have had one as long as I can remember and they simply use evenly spaced tacks around the window frame - so it definitely doesn't need to be complicated!

I'd love to see your climber in action (don't forget to tag me on Instagram too!).

Have a great weekend and see you Monday! 

PS I love how this climber goes up and around a door frame!

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An incredible loft, filled with plants!

Hands up who loves a house plant? This home tour is for you! Seriously, I've never seen so much beautiful greenery in one place, it takes the term 'urban jungle' to a new level  - and the results are lush! Formerly a cotton mill from the 1870s, the plant-filled loft is located in the centre of Baltimore and belongs to green-fingered Hilton Carter and his girlfriend Fiona Vismans who met as neighbours three years ago (when she knocked on his door to ask him to turn his music down! Love that!). Hilton estimates he owns around 120 plants which wind their way around a blend of high street, thrift store and flea market finds and thrive on the light from the incredible windows. "I really like having plants as a part of my interior styling. You need that sort of life to open up the space, to clean the air, and to make it feel like home," Hilton explained to Baltimore Magazine. Prepare to be inspired...

Photography: Hilton Carter

Quite incredible, don't you think?

Who needs a greenhouse?!

If you'd like to see more beautiful homes with plants check out; Jeska and Dean Hearne's lovely home, plants and mid-century finds in a Brooklyn brownstone, the Melbourne home of a florist.

And I love this book: Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants.

Oh and in case you're not very green-fingered - I included a guide to house plants that are almost impossible to kill in my Lagom book - tried and tested by yours truly!

I'd highly recommend following Hilton Carter's instagram feed for a load more inspiration too!
Vi ses!

PS Look out for our guide to indoor climbers (to follow shortly!).

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Rug (and neturals) heaven at DOMOTEX

Hej hej! How's your January? I've been a little too busy to let the gloomy weather get to me (Malmö - where's the snow, though?!), I hope you have too?! I kicked off the working year with an inspiring trip to Hannover for DOMOTEX - the leading B2B trade fair for floor coverings. I've got a real weakness for rugs and wood flooring so I was in absolute heaven and so happy to team up with some of my favourite bloggers including Holly from Decor8, Igor from Happy Interiors blog and Urban Jungle Bloggers, Agata from Passion Shake, Stefan from Trend Stefan, Desiree from Vogesparis and Mette from Monsterscircus to tour the fair and take part in two panel discussions (more to follow later this week). There were so many incredible brands at the fair. One of the highlights for me, was the TISCA stand. TISCA produce unique hand-woven rugs, and teamed up with Lotta Agaton Interiors from Sweden (it was so great to meet Lotta and Pella Hedeby in person - look out for links to these lovely ladies' homes below - they're totally worth a peek!). The stand was designed using milky tones and furniture from Team 7, Vitra and Artek - and of course some of TISCA's beautiful rugs! I took a few snaps to share with you...

Photography: © Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home.

One of the key rug trends this year is adorning walls with rugs (as art or simply to give the room a soft, cosy feel) and the TISCA stand demonstrated this beautifully. Love, love, loved it!

And how soothing are those neutral tones? 

Look out for a full report on DOMOTEX later this week.

Oh, and I promised to share the links to Lotta Agaton's home (Lotta was the founder of one my favourite magazines Residence) and Pella Hedeby's home.

Have a lovely day!

PS Another of my favourite magazines Condé Nast Traveler, featured my Lagom Book yesterday (I did an actual body roll when I saw the piece - thank you!).

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Get the look: A Swedish Home with a Floral Touch!

Why hello there! How are you today? I've been photographing a little corner of my home this morning - and can't wait to show you the results! I need to do a little re-touching first as I didn't notice a purple ball of 'slime' peeping out from under the daybed (mammas and pappas out there, how much are you disliking this homemade slime trend among kids?!). Anyhow, things are on the up again as I stumbled across this lovely Swedish home with a pretty floral accent wall. I couldn't resist putting together a bit of a 'get the look' with the help of Ana (below)...  just in case you're liking it as much as I am! Or else, you could just move in (it's for sale!).... now there's an idea! Gothenburg anyone?

Va fin! 

Do you know what really caught my eye? The indoor climber! These are quite popular in Sweden (my parents-in-law have had one since forever) and I'm happy to see them growing in popularity in the interior world (literally taking the urban jungle theme to new heights!).  Could you imagine growing one in your home? If so, perhaps an inspiration post on these fine specimens might be of interest?

Is there anything that stood out to you?

Here's our round-up just in case the apartment doesn't come with all the furniture!

Get The Look

1. Moroccan pouf
2. Windsor dining chair
3. String storage
4. Boråstapeter Jubileum wallpaper
5. Metal clamp light
6. Rattan chair
7. L:A Bruket hand cream
8. Linen cushion

Have a lovely day!

Credits: Photography: Janne Olander Styling Maria Wigartz for Stadshem.

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